Section 3 - Chemical Recovery

3.6 ELECTRODIALYSIS

3.6.6 Performance Experience

Only two of the user survey respondents indicated that they have
used electrodialysis as a recovery technology (PS 012 and PS 125).
PS 012 purchased a system from LEA in 1982 and PS 125 purchased
a system from Baker Brothers in 1986. A summary of the data provided
by these respondents is shown in Exhibit 3-52. Neither of these
applications was successful. Failure of the technology at PS 012
was attributed to maintenance problems with the membrane and associated
repair and parts replacement costs. Their system was removed from
service in 1987 after 5 years of service (non-continuous due to
O&M problems). They indicated that the technology did not
satisfy the purpose for which they purchased it (i.e., to help
meet effluent regulations and reduce operating costs). PS 125
did not provide many details on their system's performance. They
simply stated: "machine returned after threatened law suit
because it never worked." Presently PS 125 uses a vacuum
evaporator for nickel recovery that has been relatively successful
(only reported problem was a build-up of sodium chloride in the
nickel bath, see Section 3.3).